Seeing and Believing - an Easter Celebration on Cleeve Hil

Since January Faith Taylor has been working with us as part of the Congregational Federation's Growing Disciples Project.  Faith has been working with our young people preparing a video for Easter Sunday.

Happy Easter!

Welcome to our celebration of Easter!

So much of the Easter story happens in the dark.

It was dark when Jesus and the disciples left the Upper Room at the end of the Last Supper.  It was dark in the Garden of Gethsemane.  It was dark when they arrested Jesus.  It was dark when the trial began.  It was dark when Peter denied Jesus.  It was dark through the night Jesus spent in the Caiaphas’s house.  It was dark when Jesus breathed his last on the cross.  It was dark as those women set off on the Sunday morning to anoint the body in the tomb.  

But the tomb was empty.  

Dawn was breaking.  The sun was rising. 

Jesus Christ is risen … he is risen indeed!

It was dark that evening as the two friends made their way to Emmaus.  It was dark when the stranger came in to sup with them.  It was dark as they made their way back to Jerusalem.  It was dark once again in the Upper Room as the disciples ate together.  It was dark on the Sea of Galilee as they fished through the night.  It was dark on the shore as they cooked on the fire.  

But now the darkness was different.  

The risen Jesus was there with them … in the dark times as much as in the light.

The sun rose as we arrived at the Quarry Car park on Cleeve Hill.  We made our way to the top of the hill overlooking Bishop's Cleeve and looking towards the Malverns.  It was a beautiful morning with the skylarks singing in all their glory.

See the glory of God’s creation

Hear the song of the skylark

Touch the moisture of the dew

Taste the freshness of the air

Smell the earthiness of the soil

And know how wonderful it is to be alive.

We want to tell you about the One who was from the beginning. We have seen Him with our own eyes, heard Him with our own ears, and touched Him with our own hands. This One is the manifestation of the life-giving Voice, and He showed us real life, eternal life. We have seen it all, and we can’t keep what we witnessed quiet—we have to share it with you. We are inviting you to experience eternal life through the One who was with the Father and came down to us.  What we saw and heard we pass on to you so that you, too, will be connected with us intimately and become family. Our family is united by our connection with the Father and His Son Jesus, the Anointed One; and we recall all this because retelling this story fulfills our joy.

They saw it all.  And that’s why all these accounts are recorded so that we too might believe that Jesus is the Anointed, the Liberating King, the Son of God, because believing grants us the life He came to share.

            He is exalted,

            the King is exalted on high;

            I will praise Him.

            He is exalted,

            for ever exalted

            and I will praise His name!

            He is the Lord;

            for ever his truth shall reign.

            Heaven and earth

            rejoice in His holy name.

            He is exalted,

            the King is exalted on high.

Twila Paris ©  985 Straightway MusicCCL 3540

We circled round to a little hollow just above the path way where we imagined ourselves to be in the Upper Room

To the Upper Room

It all began that first Resurrection day.  And he missed it all.  He had not seen Jesus appear in the centre of the room.  He had not heard Jesus say

Jesus: May each one of you be at peace

He had not witnessed the wounds in His hands and His side.  He had not been there to celebrate as it sank in that they were really seeing the Lord.  He had not heard with his own ears the voice of Jesus

Jesus:  I give you the gift of peace. In the same way the Father sent Me, I am now sending you.

He had not sensed the breath of Jesus when He had drawn close enough to each of them that they could feel His breath.  He breathed on them

Jesus: Welcome the Holy Spirit of the living God.  You now have the mantle of God’s forgiveness. As you go, you are able to share the life-giving power to forgive sins, or to withhold forgiveness.

He had not felt the breath.

But he listened to the accounts of each brother’s interaction with the Lord,

All  We have seen the Lord.

But he had not seen, he had not heard, he had not touched, he had not felt for himself and so he said,

Thomas: Until I see His hands, feel the wounds of the nails, and put my hand to His side, I won’t believe what you are saying.

But they had not been the first to see and hear the risen Jesus.  It was Mary Magdalene who saw and heard and went directly to the disciples.

Before the sun had risen on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene made a trip to the tomb where His body was laid to rest. In the darkness, she discovered the covering had been rolled away.  She darted out of the garden to find Simon Peter and the dearly loved disciple to deliver this startling news.

Mary Magdalene: They have taken the body of our Lord, and we cannot find Him!

Together, they all departed for the tomb to see for themselves. 

We moved into a long disused quarry where once Cleeve Hill's limestone had been taken out for some of the lovely Cotswold stone buildings.  Jerusalem is also built on limestone, a whiter limestone and a younger limestone, but limestone nonetheless.  It doesn't take much imagining to be at the empty tomb.

To the Empty Tomb

They began to run, and Peter could not keep up. The beloved disciple arrived first but did not go in. There was no corpse in the tomb, only the linens and cloths He was wrapped in.  When Simon Peter finally arrived, he went into the tomb and observed the same:  the cloth that covered His face appeared to have been folded carefully and placed, not with the linen cloths, but to the side.  After Peter pointed this out, the other disciple (who had arrived long before Peter) also entered the tomb; and based on what he saw, faith began to well up inside him!  Before this moment, none of them understood the Scriptures and why He must be raised from the dead.  Then they all went to their homes.

Mary, however, stood outside the tomb sobbing, crying, and kneeling at its entrance.  As she cried, two heavenly messengers appeared before her sitting where Jesus’ head and feet had been laid.

Heavenly Messengers: Dear woman, why are you weeping?

Mary Magdalene: They have taken away my Lord, and I cannot find Him.

After uttering these words, she turned around to see Jesus standing before her, but she did not recognize Him.

Jesus: Dear woman, why are you sobbing? Who is it you are looking for?

She still had no idea who it was before her. Thinking He was the gardener, she muttered and then she heard him speak her name ...

Mary Magdalene: Sir, if you are the one who carried Him away, then tell me where He is and I will retrieve Him.

Jesus: Mary!

Mary Magdalene (turning to Jesus and speaking in Hebrew): Rabboni, my Teacher!

Jesus: Mary, you cannot hold Me. I must rise above this world to be with My Father, who is also your Father; My God, who is also your God. Go tell this to all My brothers.

1          Thank you for saving me;

            what can I say?

            You are my everything,

            I will sing your praise.

            You shed your blood for me;

            what can I say?

            You took my sin and shame,

            a sinner called by name.

            Great is the Lord.

            Great is the Lord.

            For we know your truth has set us free;

            you've set your hope in me.

2          Mercy and grace are mine,
            forgiv'n is my sin;
            Jesus, my only hope,
            the Saviour of the world.
            'Great is the Lord,' we cry;
            God, let your kingdom come.
            Your word has let me see,
            thank you for saving me.
            Great is the Lord.
            Great is the Lord.
            For we know your truth has set us free;
            you've set your hope in me.
            Thank you for saving me; what can I say?

Martin J Smith © 1993 Curious? Music CCL 3540

Mary Magdalene obeyed and went directly to His disciples.

We returned to the hollow by the path and continud our reflections.

To the Upper Room

Mary Magdalene (announcing to the disciples): I have seen the Lord, and this is what I heard him say to me …

On that same evening (Resurrection Sunday), the followers gathered together behind locked doors in fear that some of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem were still searching for them. Out of nowhere, Jesus appeared in the centre of the room.  And all who were there were certain

All:  We have seen the Lord!

But he had not seen, he had not heard, he had not touched, he had not felt for himself and so Thomas said,

Thomas: Until I see His hands, feel the wounds of the nails, and put my hand to His side, I won’t believe what you are saying.

Eight days later, they gathered again behind locked doors; and Jesus reappeared. This time Thomas was with them and heard for himself …

Jesus: May each one of you be at peace.

Jesus drew close to Thomas.

Jesus: Reach out and touch Me. See the punctures in My hands; reach out your hand, and put it to My side; leave behind your faithlessness, and believe.

Thomas (filled with emotion): You are the one True God and Lord of my life.

Jesus: Thomas, you have faith because you have seen Me. Blessed are all those who never see Me and yet they still believe.

Jesus performed many other wondrous signs that are not written in this book. These accounts are recorded so that we, too, might believe that Jesus is the Anointed, the Liberating King, the Son of God, because believing grants us the life He came to share.

We want to tell everyone about the One who was from the beginning. These people saw Him with their own eyes, heard Him with their own ears, and touched Him with their own hands. This One is the manifestation of the life-giving Voice, and He showed them real life, eternal life.

And they couldn’t keep what they witnessed quiet—they had to share it with us.  They have invited us to experience eternal life through the One who was with the Father and came down to us.  What they saw and heard they passed on to us so that we too, are connected with them intimately and are family. Our family is united by our connection with the Father and His Son Jesus, the Anointed One; and we recall all this because retelling this story fulfills our joy.  And we too can say

Christ is risen … He is risen indeed!

Christ is risen … He is risen indeed!

Christ is risen … He is risen indeed!

Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son;

endless is the victory thou o'er death hast won.

Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,

kept the folded grave clothes where thy body lay.

Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son:

Endless is the victory, thou o'er death hast won.

Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;

lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom.

Let his church with gladness,

hymns of triumph sing;

for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.

No more we doubt thee, glorious prince of life!

Life is nought without thee; aid us in our strife;

make us more than conquerors,

through thy deathless love:

Bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above.

Edmund L Budry (1854-1932), translated by Richard B Hoyle (1875-1939) CCL 3540

Christ is risen – He is risen indeed!

Christ is risen – He is risen indeed!

Christ is risen – He is risen indeed!

Thine be the glory

And in John 21:12 Jesus said one thing more …

Jesus: Come and join me for breakfast

Smell the cooking, taste the delights we’ll share and the celebration goes on


Our moirnig celebration over we returned to Highbury for a cooked breakfast!  One thiing emerges from this reading of 1 John 1:1-5 and John 20.  It is the way John emphasises the five senses.  The Risen Jesus is seen and heard, his wounded hands are touched, and in John 21 people smell the charcoal fire he has made and taste the fish he has cooked.  Our resurrection faith is grounded in the witness of those who saw, heard, touched, smelled and tasted the risen Christ, the fire he made and the meal he cooked.  Blessed were those who saw and believed: how much more blessed are we who have not seen and yet believe!  And the faith we come to is the faith that transforms us with the neness of resurrection life.

Taken from John 20 and 1 John 1 in the Voice Bible